MARIES CLEANING TIPS

STAIN REMOVAL

Chocolate -- Wash in very hot water. If the stain persists, treat for regular greasy stains. To remove regular greasy stains such as butter, gravy oils etc., put garment, stain side down onto a thick towel try club soda or sponge with percholorethylene, launder as usual following this treatment.

CLEAN POT HOLDERS

Pot holders will remain cleaner longer,if you spray them with starch. Greasy stains won't take hold as easily.

DUST CLOTHS

Old panty hose makes great dust cloths. The nylon has a lot of static cling and picks up dust nicely.

WASHING TIPS

Paint remover -- Use pine-sol or any pine based cleaner on clothes spotted with dried on latex paint. Apply directly to each spot, then wash Stain Remover -- Tie a knot in a sleeve or pant leg to remind you that it needs special washing care.

BOUNCE FRESHENER

Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before folding and storing them. It will keep them smelling fresh. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing.

BARBEQUE CLEANER

Degrease and clean barbecue grills by applying baking soda as a paste with a wire brush. Let set for 15 minutes, then wipe clean and let the grill fire burn away any residue before adding food to grill surface.

SENSITIVE SKIN

Use baking soda instead of fabric softener in the rinse cycle if family members have sensitive skin.

DISSOLVING SOAP SCUM

To dissolve soap scum from shower doors,clean with a sheet of Bounce.

COLLECTING CAT HAIR

Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the loose hairs.

GOOD WEATHER WINDOW CLEANING

You may think lovely weather makes a good day to tackle outdoor cleaning, but strong sunlight can cause window cleaners to dry before you can work it off. This may cause streaks. See which way the sun is moving around your house and work accordingly.

SPOTTING STREAKS WHEN WINDOW CLEANING

Clean one side of the window with up and down strokes, then work from side to side on the reverse side. This makes it easy to notice and remove any remaining streaks.

REMOVE LIGHT STAINS FROM BATHTUB

Remove light stains from bathtubs and sinks with a cut lemon.

REMOVE DARK STAINS FROM BATHTUB

To remove dark stains from a bathtub,use a paste of borax and lemon juice.

REMOVE POLISH BUILDUP FROM FURNITURE

Remove polish buildup from furniture with a solution of equal parts vinegar and water. Dip cloth into the solution, wring out well, then wipe the furiture dry with a soft cloth.

GARBAGE DISPOSAL SMELLS

To eliminate the smell from garbage disposal units, scour food particles from the walls and blades. Then, combine 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup water, pour into ice cube trays and freeze. Remove the cubes and grind them in the disposal. Then flush with water for one minute, grind some lemon or orange peels for a pleasant fragrance.

A TOUCH OF SPARKLE

For glasses that gleam, fill a sink with plenty of hot (but not too hot) soapy water and add a dash of vinegar before washing them. Polish immediately afterwards with a soft cloth (preferably linen) to avoid water marks forming around the rims.

RED WINE STAINS

Soak excess as soon as possible with water or white wine. Sprinkle with salt before rinsing with cold water or soda water. Wash as normal. If you are particularly prone to spilling red wine, buy a specalist cleaner.

FOGGY WINDSHIELD

Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car, When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

CHROME CLEANER

Undiluted fresh lemon juice is just the thing to clean water spots and stains from your automobiles chrome.

CANDLE WAX REMOVAL

* To remove candle wax from wooden table or floor, scrape off what you can then place a blotter over the remaining wax and hold a warm iron on it until the blotter draws the wax out or use a hair dryer instead of an iron.
* Candle wax on a table linen can be removed with vegetable oil, rub gently with oil and blot with paper towels, wash as usual,

ROYAL FLUSH

To quickly freshen up your toilet, drop in 2 Alka Seltzer tablets, wait 20 minutes and then brush (avoid wire brushes as they may scratch) Flush with lid down to avoid a fine spray all over the bathroom.

COUCH CLEANER

A quick and easy way of freshening up your sofa is to sprinkle a little baking soda beneath the cushions.The baking soda draws in the odor.Leave for at least 15 minutes and than vacuum away.

SPRING CLEANING

Before you start to vacuum, put a few drops of lemon juice into the dust bag. It will make the house smell fresher.
Yellowed linens can be brightened with denture cleaning tablets. Dissolve tablets (according to package direction) in a sink or wash basin of warm water. Add the stained linens and soak until the discoloration is gone.

LEMON JUICE

Did you know that lemon juice cleans piano keys and copper pots, brightens porcelain, absorbs odors, and removes lipstick and wine stains? Half a lemon, from which most of the juice has been squeezed, makes a fresh clean pad for faucets and sinks. Use with a little salt as an abrasive.

CUCUMBER CLEANER

* Out of WD40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber, slice and rub it along the problematic hinge and viola, the squeaks gone.
* Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of a cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing marks. Also works well on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls.
* Looking for a "green" way to clean your faucets sink or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean. Not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but it won't leave streaks and won't harm your fingers or fingernails while you clean.

CLEANING UP BROKEN GLASS

Use a wet cotton ball or q-tip to pick up small shards of glass you can't see easily.

CLEAN UP AS YOU GO

To keep order in the kitchen when cooking or preparing food,clean up after each step.This will also help to prevent the transfer of germs between cooked and raw ingrredients.

SINKING FEELING?

If your stainless steel sink is looking a bit dull, rub the surface gently with a scrunged -up ball of newspaper or sprinkle it with baking powder, scrub and rinse off.

WD40 THE WONDER CLEANING LUBRICANT

19 - Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles, lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans. 18 - Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots. Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.
17 - Removes splattered grease on stoves.
16 - Gives floors that just waxed sheen without making them slippery.
15 - Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
14 - Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
13 - Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close
12 - Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades and other tools.
11 - Keeps pigeons off the balcony. (they hate the smell)
10 - Cleans and lubricates guitar strings
9 - Removes stains from stainless steel sinks
8 - Removes tomato stains from clothing
7 - Loosens stubborn Zippers (I am not going there)
6 - Lubricates noisy door hinges in homes and vehicles
5 - Removes lipstick stains quickly
4 - Keeps scissors working smoothly
3 - Removes dirt and grime from B.B.Qs
2 - Keeps flies off cows (this one is for Tammy)
1 - Protects silver from tarnishing

CLEANING A VASE

Drop 2 Alka Seltzer tablets in a vase or cruet, fill with water to remove the stain in the bottom.

WHITE RINGS ON GLASSES

Your guests go home but the white rings from their wet glasses remain ---- Make a thin paste of salad oil and salt. Using your fingers, gently massage the mixture into the ring. Let sit for an hour or so then wipe clean with a clean cloth or cover the ring with petroleum jelly. Let sit for a day and then wipe off.

CLEANING VARNISHED FLOORS

Rub varnished floors with cold tea to clean and shine

CLEANING CHANDELIERS

To clean a chandelier without taking the whole thing apart, try this -- fill a glass with one part alcohol to 3 parts water. Dip each pendant into the glass, then let the chandelier drip-dry. Be sure to have towels underneath.

FRESH FLUFFY PILLOWS

Make your feather pillows fresh and fluffy by putting them in a cool dryer and allowing them to tumble for about 15 minutes. Check first that there are no holes in the pillows.

STAIN REMOVAL

Most of what you will need for stain removal is probably on your laundry room shelf already or in your kitchen or bathroom. (I have a bottle in each of these places). Keep handy a bottle filled with 2 parts water to one part RUBBING alcohol. This solution will remove many different kinds of stains. In fact, it is the base for many commerical stain removers.

SOFTEN JEANS

To soften new jeans, wash them several times, or soak them 12 hours in a small tub filled with cold water and plenty of fabric softener. Then wash as usual.

QUICK DRYING PANTYHOSE

If you need to dry panty hose in a hurry, hang them on a line and and blow dry them with a hair dryer.

WAX REMOVAL

To remove old wax from glass candle holders, put the candle holder in your freezer for a few hours. Then take candle holder out and turn it upside down. The wax will fall out.

PERMANENT MARKER REMOVAL

To remove permanent markers marks from appliances/counter tops use rubbing alcohol on a paper towel

SOS PAD DOUBLE LIFE

When you purchase SOS pads, take a pair of scissors and cut each pad in half. A box of SOS pads will last you a long time. Second benefit to this is that the scissors get sharpened by cutting the SOS pad.

CLEANING WINDOWS & MIRRORS

Clean windows and mirrors with coffee filters. They are lint free so they leave windows sparkling.